Nowhere To Run
by MagicalSingingAdventures
Summary: Based off of Season 4 Episode 5 "His Father's Son" When Merlin brings the men to the valley where the knights are supposed to ambush, what will he do when there is no one there? What happened to Arthur? Will Merlin do now that he is trapped and alone? Magic reveal! Now Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello fellow readers and writers! Welcome to my very first story, **_**Nowhere To Run! **_**I am very happy to finally be writing this story, and so I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin… or Colin Morgan… Yet…**

**Chapter 1:**

Merlin vowed that Arthur would pay as he rushed through the field in the center of Camelot, not bothering to look behind him as he hurried towards his destination. And he need not look behind him, for the yells of the men chasing him were easily heard in the open field.

When Merlin reached the forest he kept going, trying to run as fast as he could, despite how hard it was to do in all the chainmail Merlin was made to wear by his annoying master, thus the reason he was already exhausted from only running a short while. Merlin pressed forward, the shouts of the men at his back spurring him into a faster pace.

The sun beat heavily down on Merlin's messy, raven-colored hair as he scrambled through the forest, desperately praying that his clumsiness would not betray him to the army of men who were chasing him. If he were to trip, the large men behind him would surely capture him, something Merlin most definitely could not let happen. If he let such a thing befall him there would be no escaping Arthur's relentless teasing. As Merlin caught his Camelot-red cloak on yet another tree branch, he inwardly cursed everyone in the world, Especially Arthur.

Trees whipped past Merlin's vision as he ran, the sound of his footsteps blocked out by the yells and taunts of the men following him, waving their large battle axes, maces and swords, pretty much anything they could kill him with, in the air as they continued to chase him.

Merlin weaved between trees and rocks, desperately trying to remember exactly where Arthur had told him to go, and so Merlin stopped, and tried to figure out where he was. What would Arthur do if he got horribly lost in the forest? Arthur would probably kill him, assuming of course that the men he was being chased by didn't kill Merlin first. After all, it would do no good to keep going if he didn't reach the valley he was trying to get to.

As he stood there pondering which way to go, he heard a noise. He whirled around in time to see an axe whip through the air towards him. He fell to the ground, the axe just barely missing him as it landed between his legs, so he picked it up and ran.

Just when Merlin feared the men would catch him, he reached the valley. The heavy footsteps behind him ceased and he turned around to face the men. They approached him, one sneering at him and saying, "Trapped, are we," the arrogance in his gravelly voice apparent as he stared Merlin down.

Merlin looked calmly on and waited for the knights to begin their attack. Nothing happened. He looked around, searching the top of the valley for any sign of the men who were supposed to be waiting for him.

No one was there. The knights were not there. As Merlin realized this, he looked back at the men in the valley with him.

Arthur was gone. No one was there to help him. Merlin was completely alone, and furthermore, he was completely and utterly trapped.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello once again fellow fanfiction readers and writers! I just want to give a big thanks to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story so far! **

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, my attempts to own Merlin have ultimately led to failure so, I am sorry to say, Merlin does not belong to me…**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**The previous morning…**

When Arthur awoke that morning, he was annoyed but not very surprised to find that the sun was already high in the sky and there was absolutely no sign of his idiotic manservant anywhere. With a moan Arthur got out of bed, determined to punish Merlin for making him late, again. But first came the issue of getting dressed without help.

By the time Arthur was on his way to Gaius's chambers to look for Merlin he had already wasted half an hour digging through his dresser and wardrobe for the proper clothes to wear. Though Arthur would never admit it to him, Merlin was actually competent at his job when he wasn't late, or forgetting things, or tripping over thin air as Merlin tended to do quite frequently.

As Arthur walked through the halls, he began thinking of a ridiculous list of chores to give his lazy servant as punishment for being late. In fact, he was so caught up in his musings that he missed the strange looks he was receiving from the servants in the hallways, as well as the barely concealed laughter when Gwaine spotted him.

By the time he reached the door to Gaius's chambers, Arthur had already decided that Merlin would have to polish his armor, sharpen his sword, scrub the floor, clean his boots, make all the guest bedrooms in the western half of the castle, assist the rather grumpy head cook, and worst of all, muck out the stables. Arthur could already picture the look of horror on Merlin's face when Arthur told him all that he had to do, as well as the normal duties he had to attend to like fetching his meals and training with the knights.

Arthur rapped his knuckles on the worn wooden door, and when he heard Gaius's voice granting him entrance, he opened it. He strode through the chambers, past the various books, herbs, and potions, up the steps and to the door of Gaius's old supply closet, which had become Merlin's room upon his arrival all those years ago.

He pushed the door open, and was greeted with the sight of his manservant fast asleep on his small bed, completely unaware who had just entered and how much trouble he was going to be in. Merlin's room was very small, a fact not helped by the lack of organization the sleeping boy possessed. Clothing and books were strewn across every available surface, giving the general appearance that a tornado had hit the inside of the room.

Looking at Merlin's sleeping form; Arthur suddenly got an excellent idea. He rushed back down the stairs, and approached Gaius's work bench. Arthur then proceeded to grab the bucket of water that was resting there. Gaius had kept a bucket on hand ever since the unfortunate incident when he had set his bench on fire*. Next, Arthur walked back up to Merlin's room. He marched over to where Merlin was resting, careful to avoid the various objects on the floor, and dumped the contents of the bucket on the sleeping body of his manservant.

With a startled yelp Merlin sprang from the bed, his arm raised in what Arthur could only assume was supposed to be a fighting stance. "Merlin, how nice of you to wake up." Arthur stated sarcastically, his irritation with the situation apparent as he glared at his moronic manservant.

"And tell me Merlin," Arthur growled, "do you realize you should have gotten me up FOUR HOURS AGO?"

At first Merlin couldn't speak, after all he had just woken up, and Arthur would have continued his tirade if Merlin hadn't then found his words and said, "What are you wearing?" mirth filling his features as he truly looked at what his master had put on.

And no one could truly blame him. Standing before Merlin, his temper clearly rising, Arthur looked completely ridiculous. His hair was sticking up in every direction and his royal blue shirt was far too small, thus making him look hilariously large in comparison. He wore no shoes or socks, and his trousers were not only on backwards, but inside out as well. All in all, Arthur looked like a small child who had insisted to his mother that he was a big boy and he could get dressed on his own, and then attempted to prove it, ending in the catastrophe that was Arthur's clothes.

Arthur just gave Merlin his very best you're-an-idiot-and-I'm-going-to-get-you-for-this scowl and stormed out of the room. Merlin sighed heavily, and, still dripping wet from his encounter with the bucket, he began to get ready. After all, he didn't want to give Arthur any more reason to torment him. As Merlin looked around the disaster that was his room, he just knew his day was going to get worse. And he was right.

**To Be Continued…**

**Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit like filler, but I promise, it's actually going to be important later**

***This happened in a previous Merlin episode! Kudos to anyone who knows which one it is from!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello fellow fanfiction readers and writers! Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story so far! **

**Disclaimer: Merlin is not mine… If it was I would have made some major changes to the last episode…**

**Please enjoy!**

**The Previous day… Continued…**

Merlin really should have known that Arthur wouldn't let him off easy for being late, and he most definitely should have known it was a bad idea to poke fun at the king when Arthur hadn't eaten yet. After all, Arthur did get rather crabby without food. All in all, Merlin had brought all this upon himself.

Somehow, this fact did nothing to placate Merlin as he lugged all of Arthur's armor down the three flights of stairs that were between Arthur's room and the armory. Merlin was infuriated that Arthur was making him polish all of his armor, when Merlin had done just that the night before. Anyone who looked at Arthur's armor would find it quite difficult to find anything to criticize, because while Merlin was almost always late for work, his skill as a servant was exemplary, not that Arthur would ever tell him that.

So there Merlin stood in front of the heavy door to the armory, contemplating how he was going to open it. He looked around the corridor, and when he deemed it void of human activity, muttered "Aliese" and when his normally sapphire eyes changed to molten gold, the door sprang open. Merlin quickly slipped inside the armory, placing his armful of armor down on the bench with a clang.

Merlin's eyes drifted around the armory, taking in the familiar sight of the various swords, maces, crossbows, and lances. When his eyes fell upon the lances in varying sizes and weights Merlin quickly looked away. Even though it had been some time since the death of Lancelot, any reminder of him only served to remind Merlin of his past failures. Merlin turned back to the pile of armor, and with a sigh he began his tedious work.

As it was, it took Merlin several hours more than usual to finally complete his chores, with perhaps a little help from his magic. Merlin had to rush to the council chambers to make it on time for the round table meeting. Although Merlin did not have an actual seat at the round table, as Arthur's servant he was still required to attend. The meetings themselves were actually quite interesting; a fact that may or may not have had to do with Gwaine and his drunken tendencies, but nonetheless Merlin enjoyed them.

The only thing he didn't like about the meeting, other than the fact that he had to stand and watch the entire time, was that Arthur's uncle Agravaine also attended. Merlin was positive that Agravine was in cahoots with Morgana and as such Merlin naturally didn't trust him. Thus Merlin was not overly thrilled that Agravaine was privy to all the sensitive information that was discussed at the round table.

When Merlin entered through the doors of the council chambers, Merlin wasn't entirely shocked to discover that he was the very last person to enter. As he closed the doors behind him and made his way over to stand behind Arthur they began the meeting. Arthur nodded at Sir Leon, and Sir Leon stood from his seat and began his report from the patrol he had been out on earlier that day.

"Recently there has been news of King Caerleon's men crossing the border from Caerleon into Camelot. We of course already knew of their movements along the border, but they are now in the kingdom. The most recent scouts sent out have informed me that the men have set up camp in the very heart of Camelot. They are invading on our territory sire, and we cannot let them continue to do this," Leon stated dutifully before taking his seat.

Arthur nodded, a plan forming in his head as he took in all the information he now knew. "Tomorrow we shall set a trap for King Caerleon's men." Arthur decided. "We will send one man to their camp. When they see that he is a knight of Camelot they will most likely give chase. The man will allow them to chase him to this area here," Arthur explained, pointing to a place on the map, "Then a group of about fifty knights will be waiting. Caerleon's men will be surrounded, and they will have no choice but to surrender."

The looks on the faces of the rest of the round table told Merlin that they thought Arthur's plan was ingenious, and Merlin quite agreed. It truly showed that Arthur was taking on his fairly new role as king. Merlin noticed that the only thing left to decide was who would be the knight setting the trap for the other men. Apparently Sir Leon noticed as well for he spoke, "Sire, I would be honored to be the one to enact your plan."

At first it looked like Arthur was going to agree with Sir Leon, but then an evil glint appeared in his eyes and he turned to Merlin. Merlin looked at Arthur in dread. Whenever Arthur gave him that look, Merlin knew he was about to be forced to do something awful.

The first instance that Merlin could think of where this had occurred was before the attempted peace treaty between Camelot and Mercia. Arthur had forced him to wear that atrocious red feathered hat. Of course that event had also ended with him getting poisoned by a vengeful sorceress and almost dying. All in all, whenever Arthur looked at him like that, Merlin knew he was in for something truly terrible.

And it was. "Sir Leon, as much as I would like you to lead this trap, I will need your assistance during the ambush," Arthur started, a smirk on his face as he continued, "so instead Merlin will be the one setting the trap."

Merlin gaped at him. "You cannot be serious! Why can't one of the other knights do it? Why do I have to run around being chased by a swarm of crazy men?" Merlin cried, really not wanting to run for his life through the forest. Merlin had trouble running through the castle, so he did not want to think of how hard it would be running through the woods with all its uneven ground and tree roots. Usually when they ended up in a dangerous situation Merlin could hide or use magic, two things he could not do on this mission.

Arthur didn't say any more on the matter, he just gave Merlin his very best I-am-the-king-and-so-you-have-to-do-what-I-say look before dismissing the round table. Merlin thought it was unfair that Arthur had gotten so good at that look. After all, Arthur had only been King for a short while. Merlin sighed as he followed Arthur out of the room, worried about what was going to happen the next day.

He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't notice the look of glee on Agravaine's face as he too left the room. He was too angry at Arthur to see it. Agravaine, however, was thrilled.

**To Be Continued…**

**Just so you know, the next chapter is going to feature some evil Agravaine, and that will be the last chapter of flashback. Then after that we will have some Arthur and the knights… After all, we need to know why he wasn't there to help Merlin like he was supposed to.**

**Aliese= door open – I got this from the Merlin wiki site**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello fellow fanfiction readers and writers! Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story so far! **

**Disclaimer: Merlin is not mine… **

**The night before…**

Agravaine was ecstatic by the time the round table meeting was over. When Arthur said that Merlin was to be the one to go into the woods, alone, Agravaine had to cover his mouth with his gloved hand to mask his smirk. It was all just too perfect, and Agravaine knew how pleased Morgana would be at this development.

With that thought in mind, Agravaine hurried from the room and through the corridors, excited not only by the prospect of doing in Arthur's servant, for the boy had been a thorn in Agravaine's side since his arrival in Camelot, but also by how happy with him Morgana was sure to be when she discovered that they would be in the perfect position to kill Merlin, and by extension Arthur. Although Agravaine didn't know why, he did know of Morgana's deep-seeded hatred of the servant.

Agravaine hurried to the stables, only stopping to glare at a servant who dropped her basket of laundry in fright at his stare. After a stable hand saddled it, Agravaine climbed onto the back of his steed, and made his way to Morgana's hovel deep within the forest. When Agravaine reached the hideout he dismounted, and made his way to the rotted wooden door that was just barely attached to the entrance to Morgana's dirty and disheveled home. In fact, probably the only thing keeping Morgana's filthy hovel together was her magic.

Agravaine moved towards Morgana, who was pouring over a spell book at a rickety table in the corner of her shack. As he got within an arm's reach of her, she whirled to face Agravaine, brandishing a dagger at him as he leapt back just in time to avoid being stabbed in the face.

"Agravaine!" Morgana shrieked, a hint of madness in her eyes as she stopped her attack. "Why are you not in Camelot? Don't tell me you've been compromised already. You know that if you no longer have the ear of the king I really don't know what use you would be!"

"Of course my lady, Arthur still trusts me completely." Agravaine assured her. "I have come bearing news I think will please you greatly. It is concerning the serving boy, Merlin."

"Is he dead? Or grievously injured? Is he in great pain and suffering?" Morgana inquired, her eyes alight with the thought of Merlin in misery.

"Well, no my lady. He is of good health." Agravaine said hesitantly, nervous at the anger that flared in Morgana's eyes at this announcement.

"Then what news? What news about Merlin?" Morgana spat like his name was poison on her lips, "What news is so important that you risk losing Arthur's trust? What news is so important that you would be willing to lose your usefulness to me? Have you forgotten that I could destroy you Agravaine, like the pathetic worm you are, with the snap of my fingers?"

"My lady, tomorrow Arthur and the knights go on an expedition to stop Caerleon's men from invading, and Arthur has declared that Merlin will be the one to draw them out. If Arthur and the knights were to somehow not be there to help Merlin, I wonder what Caerleon's Knights would do to a trapped servant with absolutely no means of escape." Agravaine said hastily.

"He will die!" Morgana said with her classic smirk, giddy with the prospect of Merlin's death. "Merlin will go to the forest, and while he is trapped, waiting for his king who will never arrive, Merlin will die. Without Merlin, Arthur is nothing! It will destroy Arthur to watch his precious servant die because of his own stupidity. After all, a trained soldier may actually be able to put up a decent fight, but a servant? No. Merlin will be dead, Arthur will be broken, and Camelot will be mine!"

Morgana rushed to her spell book, pouring over the weathered pages in search of the information she would need to enact her plan. "Go to the castle at once Agravaine! You must not seem suspicious until it is far too late!" Morgana said.

Agravaine bowed deeply, and rushed from Morgana's hovel. He hurried back to Camelot, a smirk growing on his face as rode. Agravaine looked at the setting sun, its golden hues enveloping him as he rode, for he knew that by the same time the next day, Camelot would never be the same.

**To Be Continued…**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've had a bit of a writer's block, but I think I'm good now. Some of the dialogue I used may be similar to Agravaine and Morgana's reactions in other episodes.**

**Please Read & Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello fellow fanfiction readers and writers! Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story so far! **

**Disclaimer: Merlin is not mine… But perhaps he will be… Someday…**

Arthur trudged through the forest, trying very hard not to snap at Gwaine, whose incessant talking was beginning to drive him absolutely insane. A group of about 20 men had accompanied Arthur to stop Caerleon's knights, including the knights of the round table; Sirs Gwaine, Leon, Elyan, and Percival, as well as his uncle Agravaine. The warriors were all prepared for battle, Leon had his crossbow ready for his cue to shoot, Percival was sparring with Elyan, and Gwaine was doing what he always does, telling one of his very exaggerated tales of his adventures before he had come to Camelot.

All the knights were stationed on top of the valley, ready for Merlin but also not expecting him to show up for a while. Arthur was about to tell Gwaine to shut it after yet another story about his many exploits when the forest grew eerily silent. "Be quiet!" Arthur hissed, scanning the trees for what may have caused the disturbance.

Thankfully, Arthur's men could sense his unease, so they immediately fell silent. They too could feel what could only be described as a warriors instinct, the feeling that something was about to happen. After a tense moment of silence, Gwaine spoke up. "I guess we are all just a little bit on edge today, aren't we princess?"

The words were just out of his mouth when a ball of pure magic appeared out of thin air. It struck the tree behind where Gwaine had been standing before Percival knocked him out of the way. "Thanks mate," Gwaine said, sitting up to look at the singed tree that took the spell quite clearly meant for him.

"Any time," replied Percival as he stood and got into formation. All of the knights were on their toes, trying to figure out where the magic had come from. They had all drawn their swords, and all of them looked around with baited breath, waiting to see what the mysterious magic caster would do next.

Just as they began to wonder if the sorcerer had fled, a figure adorned in a thick black cloak appeared in the trees. "Who are you?" Arthur demanded, eyes searching for a face beneath the cloak, but all there was underneath were shadows.

The figure reached up, their pale hands gripping the hood and throwing it back to reveal the smirking face of Morgana. "Hello, dear brother." Morgana sneered at Arthur, obviously reveling in the shock that was frozen to his face as he stared.

"Morgana." Arthur said anger obvious in his features as he stared at the girl who had been like a sister to him.

"Its been so long hasn't it Arthur. Let me see, the last time you saw my work I opened the spirit realm and killed one of your favorite knights. What was his name? Oh, that's right, Sir Lancelot! He was just so brave wasn't he Arthur, it's a shame he's dead because of you." Morgana mocked, her eyes glinting with pleasure when her words elicited the reaction she was hoping for.

Arthur lunged forward, intent on running Morgana through with his weapon, but Sir Leon grabbed the back of his chainmail at the last second, halting Arthur from his actions. No one was paying attention to Gwaine who, enraged by Morganas words, had charged at her, and with the flick of her hand and a flash of gold from her eyes, Sir Gwaine flew backwards, hitting a tree and lying still.

The Knights looked at her in hatred as they got back into formation, already coming up with strategies to defeat the evil sorceress before them. But before they could as much as twitch, Morgana chanted, "Onslæp nu."

Morgana thrust out her hands towards the knights and, one by one, they all fell, until only Arthur was standing. "What did you do to them Morgana?" Arthur demanded, looking worriedly at his knights.

"Oh don't worry brother; they are merely in a deep sleep. For now anyway. And if they swear loyalty to me, their rightful ruler, when they awaken, I shall spare them. After all, I am a fair and just ruler, unlike you and your father! My only regret regarding the death of your pathetic father is that I didn't get to kill him myself!" Morgana shrieked, her temper rising as she spoke.

"My father was a fair and just king!" Arthur bellowed at Morgana. "And you're forgetting one thing Morgana. Uther is your father too! So don't go on pretending you are any different! His blood runs through your veins just as much as it does through mine."

Morgana couldn't speak. Her rage was so complete and overwhelming all she could do was scream. Her magic acted instinctively, throwing Arthur back enough to knock the wind out of him, but not enough to deem him unconscious.

After Morgana finished throwing what Arthur would later describe as her impromptu temper tantrum, she smirked maliciously at Arthur. "You know, dear brother, in all this excitement I forgot to tell you why I'm here!" At Arthur's look of apprehension, she continued. "You see, it has come to my attention that a servant of yours will be showing up any moment with a band of knights who have invaded in your land hot on his tail. Now, I wonder what they will do when he's cornered all alone in the woods, with no one to help him."

Arthur looked at her in horror. "No," he whispered. Arthur knew exactly what the men in the forest would do to Merlin if they caught him and he knew that there was no way Merlin would survive an attack by a horde of highly trained men. Merlin could barely hold a sword, and in Arthur's haste, he hadn't even considered giving Merlin a weapon to use in case he needed to defend himself. If Merlin didn't get help, he would die.

Just then, the sound of footsteps followed by the shouts of men filled the valley before them. Just as Arthur was about to shout out, to tell Merlin not to approach, Morgana struck. She froze him in place, and then proceeded to levitate him behind a tree, where Merlin would not be able to see him, but Arthur would be able to see whatever occurred below him.

Morgana then threw her hood back up and stepped into the shadows, the darkness of her cloak completely obscuring her from view. Below them, Merlin rushed into the clearing, and not long after a large group of Caerleon's men came into view, wielding all sorts of weapons. Merlin stepped back until there was nowhere left to go. All Arthur could do was look on in horror as the men descended upon Merlin.

**To Be Continued…**

**The spell I used earlier was from the Merlin Wiki site… I hope you have enjoyed this chapter… I'm glad this chapter ended in a cliffhanger… until next time… Please Read & Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello fellow fanfiction readers and writers! Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story so far! **

**Disclaimer: perhaps someday I shall own Merlin, but sadly today is not that day…**

Merlin looked wildly around in panic as the men approached him, but he couldn't see anything that would help him in a fight. Caerleon's knights were highly trained warriors, and while Merlin was well skilled when it came to a magical battle, he would be utterly destroyed in a physical confrontation. Merlin looked around desperately; hoping that at any second Arthur or Gwaine would jump down from the top of the valley and help him.

Although Merlin would never to admit it, Arthur had saved him a couple of times, and he trusted Arthur to be there when Merlin most needed him. Merlin kept feeling as if Arthur would appear and laugh about how worried he was being. He'd probably call Merlin a girl for panicking like he was.

For all Merlin knew, Arthur was just waiting to help him to punish him for being late. Though even by Arthur's usual standards of punishments, this was a bit extreme. The Knights in front of Merlin were speaking quietly among themselves, no doubt trying to figure out the best way to kill him.

As the men approached Merlin, he began to get anxious. Merlin knew that if it came down to it he could use his magic to escape harm, but what if the knights were watching him? Merlin knew that if Arthur saw him use magic, he would be killed, Arthur's servant or not. Arthur always upheld the law as a good king should, and Merlin very much doubted that Arthur would make an exception for him after Arthur found out about his betrayal.

Suddenly, the warriors in front of Merlin stopped talking. For one extremely tense moment nobody moved, but then all the men came rushing at once towards their trapped adversary. Just as the knights were about to attack him, Merlin resigned himself. He would have to use his magic.

Merlin threw his arms out, his eyes a molten gold as his powerful spell sent the men flying away from him. They hit the ground hard, and did not rise again. Merlin quickly headed up the steep sides of the valley to figure out what on earth had happened to Arthur. He could feel it, like a second sense. Merlin knew something was terribly wrong.

**Insert page break here**

Morgana watched in sick fascination as the powerful warriors attacked Merlin. She was transfixed as she waited for the moment she would be rid of that idiotic servant she hated so much, but the moment never came. Just as it looked like Merlin would be killed, he threw out his arms and his eyes turned gold. Morgana stared, first in shock, and then in anger.

After all they had been through with Morgana not knowing how to handle her own magic to now discover Merlin could have helped Morgan all along infuriated her. Morgana's blood boiled with rage as she stepped forward, ready to kill the servant before he recovered from his almost death. Then Morgana stopped, the gears in her head turning on overdrive as she thought about what to do next.

Merlin had obviously been the one to always foil her plans, and now Morgana knew about his magic. She now understood how he was always able to stop her before. Morgana thought about what to do now that she had this very crucial piece of information. She looked out from behind the trees and she could see Merlin attempting to scale the valley wall.

Then, a brilliant plan formed in Morgana's mind. She would set Arthur free, and then leave. Arthur would be so infuriated by his servant's betrayal that he would sentence him according to the laws of Camelot. Merlin would die not only leaving Arthur weak and venerable, but also crushing his spirit. As utterly deranged as Morgana was, she was still intelligent enough to have noticed how much Arthur depended on Merlin for wisdom and guidance. Without his servant, Arthur was nothing.

Realizing how ingenious her plan was, she released her magical hold on Arthur. Morgana muttered, "Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard," and was gone.

**Insert Page Break Here**

Arthur stared at Merlin, dread filling him as he watched the men below deciding on his friend's fate. Merlin was looking about helplessly, no doubt hoping Arthur would appear, but Arthur couldn't move from the spot Morgana had put him in. Arthur couldn't take it, just standing there watching as his friend faced his definite doom at the hands of cruel and brutal men. For there was no other way to describe the Knights who wanted to murder Merlin.

Arthur almost wished he could look away as the monsters sealed Merlin's fate, approaching him with great speed. But Arthur couldn't and wouldn't look away. It was all Arthur's fault that it was Merlin down there facing death. Arthur was almost glad for a moment that the spell Morgana has cast upon him froze him entirely, because if that had not been the case Arthur was sure he would be crying as he watched his friend. He couldn't breathe and he couldn't blink. All Arthur could do was look on in terror.

Arthur stood frozen in shock as he watched Merlin completely betray him. Sure, Arthur couldn't have moved if he wanted to, but if he was in control of his actions he still would have been stilled by the overwhelming astonishment he felt. Merlin, the clumsy, idiotic servant who couldn't show up on time for the life of him, was a sorcerer. Arthur watched Merlin struggle up the valley walls, Merlin's hands scrabbling at rocks and dirt, trying to get enough of a hold to climb higher.

Arthur stood there, anger firing deep within him, and when Merlin finally climbed to the top of the valley and began walking towards Arthur, something within him snapped. Arthur strode purposefully towards Merlin, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides as he moved towards the traitor. Before Merlin could open his mouth to ask Arthur what on earth was going on, Arthur struck.

Arthur lunged at Merlin, gripping Merlin by the neck and shoving him forcefully into a tree. Merlin looked at Arthur in confusion before he realized why Arthur was acting insanely towards him. Merlin was about to speak, to begin explaining himself when Arthur spoke.

"How could you?" Arthur growled, anger radiating from his words as he retained his strong grip on Merlin's neck. "Why did you come to Camelot in the first place? I can't believe I actually trusted you! I can't believe for one second I actually thought we were friends!"

Arthur shook Merlin slightly in his anger. "After everything we've done together, all the things we have faced, you betrayed me. You're nothing but a lying murderer like all your kind are, sorcerer," Arthur spat at Merlin.

It was at this point Merlin spoke up. "Arthur," Merlin began, his voice strained from the distress his vocal chords were enduring, "I was born with magic. And I have only ever used it for you Arthur, to protect you."

Arthur slammed Merlin once more into the tree, causing slight darkness to creep into the edges of Merlin's vision. "That's not possible," Arthur bellowed at Merlin, "Sorcerers have to study for years in order to use magic! How stupid do you think I am?"

"In most cases that would be true," Merlin began hesitantly, "but I am not a sorcerer."

If possible, Arthur grew even angrier. "You dare lie to my face after I just saw you perform magic!" Arthur practically screamed at Merlin.

"I am a warlock, which means I was born with magic. My mother used to tell me stories of how when I was only a baby I would cause things to fly around or break with my magic. She sent me to Camelot because she thought Gaius could help me discover why my magic is so strong." Merlin hastily explained.

Arthur seemed to be mulling over his words as he loosened his grip on Merlin's neck. Arthur's expression was thoughtful as he said, "Did you?"

Merlin looked at him in confusion and asked, "Did I what?"

"Did you find a purpose for your magic?" Arthur said, his normal look of exasperation at Merlin flitting over his face for a moment as he waited for a reply.

Merlin smiled. "Yes," he began, glad that his words were getting through to Arthur. "Within my first week of being in Camelot a," here Merlin hesitated before continuing on saying, "wise friend told me that my destiny was to protect the Once and Future King and help him become the greatest king Albion has ever known. That king is you Arthur, and I swear, everything I have ever done was for you and the king I know you will become."

Arthur fully released Merlin as he stood there, completely speechless at Merlin's words. Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but before any noise could escape, a familiar voice sounded behind them. "Well, what's going on here?" the voice spoke, Merlin and Arthur whirling around to face the person.

**To Be Continued…**

**The spell I used earlier was from the Merlin Wiki site… I hope you have enjoyed this chapter… until next time… Please Read & Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello fellow fanfiction readers and writers! Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story so far! **

**Disclaimer: Merlin is not mine… if only he was…**

With all the drama Merlin and Arthur had been engrossed in, they had completely missed the person coming up behind them. So when they heard the very familiar voice behind them they whirled around in shock. It was because of this that all Merlin and Arthur could do was stare, mouths open, at the brown, wavy haired knight before them, his face twisted in his usual charming grin.

"Gwaine? How are you awake? Morgana knocked all of you out," Arthur asked, his face showing his confusion at the fact that Gwaine was up and moving when a quick glance at all the other knights strewn about the ground showed that they were all still quite unconscious.

"Morgana only threw me into the tree. She must have assumed it would keep me unconscious for a while, but I guess the jokes on her. I have a very thick skull," Gwaine told them.

Merlin and Arthur shared a look. "You've got that part right. You have a very thick head." Merlin grinned, his eyes twinkling with laughter as Gwaine looked at him in mock offence.

"Speaking of the crazy witch, where'd she go?" Gwaine questioned, looking around as if expecting to see her watching them from between the trees.

Arthur looked accusingly at Merlin who was pointedly looking down at his shoes as if they were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. "I don't know," Arthur replied honestly, "Morgana froze me up by this tree and Merlin was stuck down at the bottom with all of Caerleon's knights approaching him."

Merlin looked at Arthur uncertainly at this point, slightly worried at what he would say next. Arthur hesitated before continuing with his tale. "Morgana decided that she wanted to kill Merlin herself, so she took down Caerleon's men," Arthur lied as Merlin looked at him in shock. "She must have used a lot of her magic to take them all out, because next thing I knew she had released me from the spell that had trapped me here and I was able to move again. I leapt into the valley from up here," Arthur said, indicating his previous position before continuing to speak, "and managed to land on top of Morgana, knocking her to the ground. Before Morgana could regain her bearings I stabbed her with my sword. She panicked and fled, probably to heal herself. Merlin and I then climbed back up the side of the valley, and then you showed up."

Gwaine seemed to think about Arthur's story for a moment before smiling his cheerful smile and clapping Arthur on the back. "Way to go princess! You finally got a stab at you evil sister!"

Arthur rolled his eyes at Gwaine's nickname for him. "What are we going to do about the knights?" Merlin piped up, looking at Arthur and Gwaine expectantly.

Arthur mulled it over in his head, looking over at the men still lying all over the forest floor. "I guess we'll have to wait until they awaken. Hopefully it will be before nightfall, but just in case, Gwaine go get some firewood. It's better to get it now and have us not have need of it, then for us to attempt to scramble around in the dark looking for it," Arthur reasoned.

With one last look at Merlin and Arthur, Gwaine dutifully headed out into the deeper woods, scanning the ground for the ideal sticks to use to make a fire. After he left, Merlin rounded on Arthur, looking at him in slight confusion before speaking. "Arthur, why did you lie to Gwaine?" Merlin asked Arthur, his eyes searching Arthur's face as if it would tell him all the answers he desperately wanted to know.

Arthur looked at Merlin for a moment before sighing heavily and telling him, "Look Merlin, I know you don't want everyone to know about your magic. I am still far beyond furious at you right now but I will hear you out," at this point Arthur fixed him will his I-want-to-kill-you-but-ill-let-you-try-to-explain look and continued, saying, "What I really want to know is why you never told me you have magic."

Arthur looked at Merlin, his expression a mixture of anger and hurt as he began pacing. "You've been my servant for almost five years, Merlin. Why on earth didn't you tell me? I thought we were friends, but was all that just a lie?" Arthur asked, his pacing increasing in speed as he talked, Arthur's face showing just how lost he was feeling.

Merlin spoke, "Arthur, I wanted to tell you so many times, but I could never find the right moment to. At first you clearly didn't like me, and then as we began to become friends, I didn't want to have to put you in a compromising position. If I had told you, you would have been stuck between choosing to keep my secret or obey your father. I didn't want you to have to make that choice."

Arthur pondered this for a moment before shaking his head and asking, "Why haven't you told me before now though, after my father had died? I wouldn't have had to choose between you anymore."

Merlin looked at Arthur a moment, considering his words. He then opened his mouth, and prepared to tell Arthur the truth. Well, most of it at least.

**To Be Continued…**

**Thank you all for reading chapter 7 of my story! I would just like to say that the next chapter will be the last chapter of this story. I hope you have enjoyed it so far, and I hope you like how I end it. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello fellow fanfiction readers and writers! Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story so far! This is the very last chapter of this story, so without further ado, here is **_**Nowhere to Run**_**.**

**Disclaimer: Merlin is not mine…**

Merlin spoke, his voice shaking a little as he said, "Think about it Arthur. After everything concerning Uther's death, you swore that all magic was evil. I couldn't face you when you were out for a sorcerer's blood," Merlin said, leaving out for now the fact that the sorcerer had been him and that it hadn't been that sorcerers fault. "Plus, I've been keeping this a secret for so long, I was afraid to tell you. I've had to keep my magic a secret my whole life. My mother always had to remind me that if I told anyone my secret I would be executed. All my life I've grown up believing I was a monster. My mother and Gaius both told me I'm not, but growing up with the threat of death hanging over me always made me wonder if they were lying to spare my feelings. I didn't want to tell you and then hear you say I was the very thing I have always dreaded I was. I was terrified to tell you because I didn't want to see the look of hatred on your face as you realized your friend was a sorcerer."

Arthur looked at Merlin as tears began making little streams down his friend's cheeks at his admittance of fear. Arthur stopped pacing and put his hand on Merlin's shoulder saying, "As angry as I am at you Merlin, I could never think you're a monster. For goodness sake Merlin, you cry when I go hunting! If anything you're a girl, look at you crying all over the place."

Merlin glared at Arthur. He had never once cried when Arthur went out hunting. Merlin just didn't think the murder of adorable animals was something to get so excited about.

Merlin was about to say so when Arthur began talking once more. "I saw how scared you were when I found out about your magic and admittedly I probably could have taken the news a bit better." At this point Arthur looked sheepishly at Merlin as Merlin gave him his very best oh-really-and-you-call-me-the-idiot look.

"Anyway, the point I'm trying to make, MERlin," Arthur said, using ever annoying voice to emphasize Merlin's name before composing himself and continuing. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry," Arthur spoke, his voice barely a whisper as he said the words he had never sincerely said to Merlin before.

Merlin cracked a small grin and said, "I'm sorry sire, what was that? Could you say that again one more time?"

Arthur looked exasperatedly at Merlin. "Wow Merlin, I thought that with such big ears you'd be able to hear anything," Arthur replied, both men slipping easily into their normal banter.

They no doubt would have continued in this fashion, insulting each other back and forth in their usual way, had not been for the sound of Gwaine's approaching footsteps. Arthur and Merlin instantly fell silent. Gwaine then came into view, twigs of various sizes piled up in his arms before he dumped them unceremoniously on the ground. Just as they all were about to begin setting up the fire a loud groan sounded from behind Gwaine.

They all turned in time to see Sir Leon sitting up, clutching his head and looking at the three men before him as if trying to place what had happened to them. All around them the men began to awaken, all of them in varying states of confusion until Leon rose hastily, nearly falling back down again as he looked around wildly and muttered, "Morgana."

The rest of the men seemed to remember this too, and although no one noticed, Agravaine looked distinctly angry when he realized what had happened. Arthur began to speak, repeating the same story he had told Gwaine, explaining to them how Morgana had fled. Then he spoke, all the knights falling silent as he said, "As there is still enough time before dark, we shall head back to Camelot immediately."

They mounted their horses, who had been waiting in a clearing not far from the valley the entire time, and set off, Merlin riding with Arthur because he hadn't been able to ride out with them and thus did not have a horse. The knights rode straight to Camelot without any trouble, which was surprising considering their luck with bad things happening, and arrived just before sunset.

**Insert Page Break**

Morgana stood in her hovel, looking angrily into her slightly cracked basin of water. She had been scrying Merlin and Arthur's interactions since she had left. At first Morgana had been delighted when she had seen Arthur get angry with Merlin. She saw her plan working perfectly, and so she watched them in excitement, waiting for Arthur to end Merlin like the traitor he was. Instead of brutally murdering the man however, her stupid brother had actually accepted Merlin and his magic. When Morgana saw this happen she forcefully smashed her fist into the basin, sending it tumbling to the ground where it smashed into pieces, effectively cutting off her connection to the image she had been watching of Arthur and Merlin riding happily through the forest. Morgana looked down at the shards of her scrying bowl and screamed, "MERLIN!" into the air. He had escaped her precious scheming once more.

**Insert Page Break**

Just before they reached the main square inside the walls of Camelot, Arthur leaned down and whispered in Merlin's ear so only Merlin would hear. "I just want you to know, I forgive you Merlin." At Merlin's questioning look he continued. You lied to me and it hurt, and it still does hurt, but you're my best friend, and I wouldn't be the king I am today without you. I've realized over the years that, although we have had out many differences, you are like a brother to me Merlin. You are my stupid, annoying, and infuriating younger brother, magic and all, and I'm willing to believe that you are the good person I have seen that you are over these years. Whatever you may have to do in the future, I trust you Merlin, and I forgive you." Arthur said.

They finally reached the looming castle walls and stopped. Merlin smiled his wide, idiotic grin at Arthur, and they both knew that with whatever Morgana did next, they would be alright. With that they both got down off the horse, and grinning all the while, they went into the castle. Although things weren't nearly perfect between them, the Once and Future King and the warlock Emrys were willing to work out their differences. Both Merlin and Arthur knew they could trust each other. They were stronger friends of legend then they had been before.

That is until Arthur started speaking again. "Well Merlin, there are a couple things I need you to do," Arthur said, his grin widening at the look of dread that filled Merlin's features. "I need you to polish my armor, muck out my stables, feed my dogs, prepare my bath, wash my tunic, scrub my floor, and write my speech for the Guild of Harness Polishers."

Merlin glared at his king, before smiling and saying overdramatically, "You know Arthur; I don't think Gwen would be too happy to hear that you overworked me after the ordeal I just went through. In fact, I think I'm going to go tell her right now!"

Merlin took of down the castle corridors, leaving an opened mouthed Arthur in his wake. Arthur was still for a moment before sprinting after Merlin shouting, "Merlin get back here! I command you as your king to stop at once! Merlin you wouldn't! Stop!"

Anyone who passed them chasing each other throughout the halls just laughed and moved out of the way. Everyone knew about the friendship between their king and his servant, but little did they know it had gotten even better in the few hours they had been away from Camelot. Their already close friendship was stronger than ever, and it could only get stronger.

It seemed only one other person besides the two of them knew of how Arthur and Merlin had become closer. In fact, at that very moment, far, far away the great dragon had been watching them, and he now could see without a doubt that the dream of Albion would come to be. And with that knowledge the great dragon smiled.

_In the land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man. His name… Merlin_

**The End…**

**This concludes my story **_**Nowhere to Run**_**! I hope you have enjoyed my story, and if you did, please feel free to leave me a review! I am thinking about writing a sequel to this, though I am not entirely sure at this point if I will. If you would like me to continue with this story, please let me know! I am very open to ideas for a sequel whether it is a one-shot or a multi-chapter story, so any suggestions would be most welcome. Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, and or favorited!**

**Many thanks,**

**~MagicalSingingAdventures~**


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